Properties and Activity
The medicinal property of Coleus amboinicus is attributed to codeine, carvacrol,
flavones, aromatic acids and tannins present in the plant. The essential oil from the plant
contains carvacrol, ethyl salicylate, thymol, eugenol and chavicol. Leaves also contain
cirsimaritin, β-sitosterol-β-D-glucoside and oxalacetic acid. Leaves are bitter, acrid,
thermogenic, aromatic, anodyne, appetising, digestive, carminative, stomachic, anthelmintic,
constipating, deodorant, expectorant, diuretic and liver tonic.
Coleus vettiveroides is bitter, cooling, diuretic, trichogenous and antipyretic.
Coleus forskohlii roots are rich in diterpenoids like forskolin, coleonols, coleons,
barbatusin, cyclobutatusin, coleosol, coleol, coleonone, deoxycoleonol, 7-deacetylforskolin
and 6-acetyl- 7 - deacetylforskolin. Its root is spasmolytic, CNS active, hypothermic and
diuretic. Forskolin is bronchodialative and hypotensive (Hussain et al,1992). Forskolin is
also useful in preventing the clotting of blood platelets, in reducing intraocular pressure in
glaucoma and as an aid to nerve regeneration following trauma (Sharma, 1998)